Look Up
Ramon Riley, 2025
The artist combines collage, drawing and painting to embrace the nuance of hand-made objects. This method integrates representation and expression. Here, the subject is the 16th Street Bridge along the Allegheny River. The winged horses, the zodiac and mythological symbols show the aesthetic beauty of how structure can merge form and function. Pittsburgh, the city of bridges, exemplifies unity, endurance and connectivity.
This artwork was created by making high-resolution scans of a physical artwork, and then printing the images on glass lamination. The careful process allows the handmade detail of the drawing, painting, and collage to be expanded to an architectural scale.
Materials: Digital Images of Original Artwork and Glass
Location: Car Rentals Building
Type: Photography
“Look Up” is located in the Customer Service Building facing towards the entrance of the terminal, so that it’s a visible welcome for arriving and departing passengers. The work continues the theme of Pittsburgh’s architectural history that is also expressed throughout the terminal and in “Open Columns” by Patrick Marold.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Sprowls
About the Artist
Rooted in memory and driven by connection, Ramon Riley’s art places viewers in dialogue with historically oppressed communities. His work centers on our common humanity, revealing shared experiences of sacrifice, resilience and beauty. Born in Pittsburgh, he earned an MA in studio art from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. He has taught in public schools of our region for over two decades and exhibited at the Frick Fine Arts Museum, SPACE Gallery and Unsmoke Systems Artspace.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Sprowls
